EU Commissioner for migration, home affairs and citizenship, Dimitris Avramopoulos, highlighted on Thursday the importance of tackling migration from Libya in the European Union (EU).

Addressing a press conference following an informal meeting of justice and home affairs ministers in Malta, Avramopoulos said it was crucial to tackle migration from around the Libyan route.

He said member states needed to focus on fighting human smuggling, helping to manage migratory flows in a more effective way, continuing to save lives at sea and also improving conditions of migrants and refugees in Libya and neighboring countries.

"All countries need to be respecting international and fundamental human rights. This is a basic principle we will not weaken," Avramopoulos said.

The European Commission this week rejected a suggestion by Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to offer Libya a deal similar to the EU's agreement with Turkey on migration.

Malta's Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela spoke of the need for a holistic approach to better manage migration with member states, not only when it came to internal factors, but also external ones.

"The internal and external factors are interlinked to try and find a better way to manage migration," Abela said.

source: Xinhua